Control mechanism for veneer-cutting machines



Jan. 25, 1927.

, 1,615,489 C. STRAUB CONTROL MECHANISM 4FOR VENEER CUTTING MACHINESFiled June l. 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet l Jan. 25,- 1927.

' 1,615,489 C. STRAUB CONTROL MECHANISM FOR VENEER CUTTING vMACHINES VFiled June 1. 1925 I5-ShetsSheet 2 D. u m A n n *s a n u .i o l vwantozl Y CHR/s row/E@ 5TH/:a5

1,615,489 Jan. 25,1927- c. sTRAuB l CONTROL MECHANISM FOR VENEER CUTTINGMACHINES Filed June 1. 1925 Patented Jan. 25, 1927.

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,PATENT office;

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*CONTROL .MECHANISM TQR VEEER-QUTTING MACHINES.

Application filed June 1, 19,25.

rlhis invention relates to `control mec`hamism ,for vveneer cuttingmachines and 'has for its particular object to provide devices forautomatically Yadvancing the cutteror knifetowald the'log'from Awhichthe slices of meneer are removed `,after each cut. The invention isparticularly applicable to veneer slicing Imachines of the typedisclosed in the U. ,patents to AllVjilliam H. lllilliams No. 269,368dated December 19, 1882, and No, .551,287 dated .June 5, 1900, wherein1`the log issrnoved transversely of .the'knife edge andafter cachent.theknife edge is advanced preparatory .to the :next Vcut- 'The Objectsand advantages of the invention V`and the means `f0.1 their attainmentwill Yloe more apparent from ,the Afollowing detailed description .ojf.a preteircd embodiment thereof illustrated ,inthe accompanying drawmgsin which.:

'LF-,ignite l 'is a View vin.sideelevation allowing 'f'sucjh A4`.detailsof .the vveneer slicing ma chine Ias [is necessary to an understandingolf theappl'ication of the invention thereto .as Wellas .the automaticmeans for advancin. thelmilefalter each out.

figure 2 is View ,showing the -machine illustrated Figure .1 and theinven- .tfQn applied thereto.

iignite ,3 Iis a View taken lin they lane indicated 'by the .line 3 3fin Figure and lolilingfnfthe direction of the arrows and showing fthemeans lor Aactuating 'the control ,mechanism .from the .reciprocatingbad of the veneerslicing;.machine Figure bis .a View-:taken in the planendicateld by the line lin Figure il and looking 'in .the di- 11ection ,of the 'arrows and showing 'Cletails of the `clutch mechanism involved. Y

'lfigireg isa view taken 5in the plane Lin dicateld lby the line x5-*5in .Figure '4c and showing 'further details of the clutch mechanism.

jlefcrring to 'Figure '1 a log a from which slices of veneer areto betaken is illustrated ,as secured to the `face of the stay'log` b whichiseapzbleofreciprocation in a lvertical plane alon-ggn'ides or Ways a:in Well known manner, the neciprocat'ion being effected -by means .ofEpitn-ien vand cranks, for instance actuated rom a reciprocating bed c.rr-lhe I,iknijgte 4or -cutter d is .carried upon a knife Carrier d'adapted to he moved toward or Serial No. 34,082.

fromt'heflog a along tracks d2 mounted upon the ibase et." At eitherside of base ethere are mounted rotatable Worm shafts f and carried-With the knife carrier d' 'areinteriorly threaded members Z3 throughwhich the Worm shafts 7 pass. The Nvorn shafts gf carry at one endthereof -bevel pi-nions '7' which mesh with *bevel gears f2 carriedupona transyerse'ly extending vsha-ft f3 upon the end of which a jghandWheel f4 ris mounted. Rotation ofthe hand Wheel f4 causing frotation or'the shaft f3 and bevel "pinions'z will cause. synchronous rotationofthe-lJeyelpinions f .and Worm shafts f v5which 4barn mesh with theinteriorly threaded mein-bers Z3 and cause the knife carrierd to Ire ciprocate along the tracks d2. iSo 4n-iuch of the machine 'as 'has justbeen described iS Well known in the art and Aforms no Vpart of thepresent invention. Automatic 'control -devices or *actuating .devices-obviating the `rcquirement of manual operation ofthe 1li-and Wheel ff*comprise the subject matter of the present `invention and Willnow loerdescribed in detail.

Shaft f3 also carries a bevel pinion constant-ly 'in mesh with a bevelpinion g carried uponvithe .shaft g. Upon the lvshalt g there is mountedaf-'pu'lleypz driven as bythe belt Vg3 from a Ymotor, :Iflot -s'hoW-nfbywhich the shaft g' may `'loefrota-ted in one direction to cause the'knife carrie-r d `to travel from one extreme position to the other.4Ste-pe -by ste-p movement of the vearrier whereby the knife -isadvanced aft-er each slice of Aveneer is cut, lpreparatory to making .asecond cut, A'is also 'effected Eby rotation ofthe shaft g. -Sllidableupon fthe shaft g is a sleeve vit having -a peripheral groove it andVformed Witha `Wedge horn 711?. Entering the groove Zr are 'lugs carriedupon a bifurcated member al carri-ed'vvith a lever i2 pivoted at one endas at 21a-tothe (frame of the machineand 4at-the other end connected vtoa link A secured -to a vhand levier 5. By `throwing` Vthe Vlever "1? iinone direction or the l.other about its pivot Y i, the sleeve 7L mayjbemoved longitudinally `of the shaft g. Mounted upon-the :end of the track(Z2 is a bell-crank lever -one armo-f which is secured to the linktgt-he other end y'being in the Ypath :of movement of the "knife carrierso that when the knife carrier j'ihas reached 4vthe end of its inw-ardstroke it will lil engage with the end of the bell-crank lever l causingmovement of the link if* to slide the sleeve it relative to shaft g.Freely rotatable upon shaft g is an annular member j formed outwardlywith ratchet teeth 7" and inwardly upon the side adjacent the sleeve ZLwith a clutch surface jz adapted to be engaged by a split ring Za keyedto the shaft g. rlChe split ring 7c is adapted to be expanded by thewedge horn Zig to cause the split ring t-o engage the clutch surface jgand in this manner cause the rotation in unison of the ratchet j andshaft g. An inverted U-shaped frame Z is adapted to surround a portionof the ratchet and carries a plurality of pawls Z so spaced that atleast one of them is at all times adapted to engage the ratchet teeth jto prevent rotation of the ratchet in one direction. Adjacent the frameZ there is disposed a housing m loosely mounted upon the shaft g andcarrying a plurality of feeding pawls m at least one of which is at alltimes also adapted to engage the ratchet teeth j. Housing m ispreferably annular in form and, encircling the same for approximatelyhalf its perimeter, is a chain n secured at one end to a spring or otheryielding' device n. The other end of the chain a is connected to an armo rigidly carried upon a shaft 0 also carrying rigidly a second arm 02having preferably a roller 03 at its end. Shaft 0 is disposed above thereciprocating bed c transversely thereol and an adjustable cam surface cis adapted to be engaged by the roller 03 on the end of the arm 02. Inorder to vary the inclination of the cam devices c any convenientdevices may be adapted, that disclosed in the illustrated embodimenttaking the form of a threaded rod ci. lt will be apparent that as thebed c reciprocates the cam c will cause the rotation of the arm 02 andwith it the shaft 0 about the axis of the shaft thereby causing the armo to draw the chain against the action of the spring n and rotate thehousing m about the shaft g. Rotation of the housing is transmittedthrough the pawls m to the ratchet j/'rwhereby ratchet and housing arecaused to rotate together about the shaft g. rlhus as the bed c moves inone direction, as to the left in Figure 3, the rotation of the shaft ocauses the chain n to rotate housing m and ratchet j in a clockwisedirection. When the bed c has reached the limit of its stroke andstarted in the return direction the spring n will tend to draw the chainin the opposite direction thereby rotating housingl mi in acounterclockwise direction. ln this instance, the

ratchet j does not rotate with the housing the lock pawls Z insuringagainst such rotation.

There is, of course, the possibility of rotative movement of the ratchetj in a counterclockwise direction (Fig, 5) when the housing m isrotating under the action of the spring n since the locking pawls Zprevent rotation only in one direction i. e. clockwise. To insureagainst such relative movement, immediately upon the release of thefeeding pawls m, a brake is provided which positively engages theratchet at that instant. This brake is illustrated in Figure l as takingthe form of a wooden brake shoe p carried with an arm p pivoted at oneend in the frame Z and connected by link p2 with a bell crank p3. Bellcrank QJ may be rotated about the pivot U4 in any convenient manner. Inthe illust ated einbodiment it is disclosed as adjustably connected byone arm to a link p5 connected with the arm o. So soon as the arm 0starts to return in a clockwise direction about the axis o the brakeshoe will be caused to engage the ratchet.

The operation of the device is as follows: Movement of the bed c alongthe track c, which is effected in any convenient manner as by a pitmanconnected to a crank rotated by a motor or the like (not shown), causesthe relative movement by other connections of the stay log` b along thetrack a2. The knife carrier CZ is brought to its initial position eithermanually through the hand Wheel y or by means of the electric motorrotating the pulley g2 preparatory to taking the initial slice of veneerfrom the log a. After the stay log is moved downwardly along the track mand a slice of veneer is removed from the log and the log returned tothe position indicated in Figure l, the knife edge Z must be movedforwardly a distance equal to the thickness of a slice of veneerpreparatory to the next cut. rl"his movement has heretofore beeneffected by rotation of the hand wheel f in a manner which will beunderstood from the foregoing description. ln order to affect automaticstep by step movement of the knife carrier CZ the shaft g is clutched tothe ratchet j by means of the expansible split ring Zc which is expandedand brought int-o clutching engagement with the interior surface jz bymeans of the wedge horn h2 which is moved forwardly into engagingposition with the split ring by throwing the lever toward the right inFigure l. Movement of the bed c toward the left in Figure 3 initiatesthe upward movement of the stay log ZJ and as the bed c moves toward theleft the cam member c comes in Contact with the arm o2, (the wheel o3permitting the arm to travel easily over the surface of the cain c) torotate the arm 02 in a counter-clock wise direction about the axis ofthe shaft o. Being carried rigidly with the shaft o the counterclockwiserotation of the arm 0-2 causes a similar eounterloclnvise rotation ofthe arm 0, also carried rigidly with the 't2-wise direction causesappropriate .,rota-.

" (Figure 3) -ment of thelpawlsl-m, .beinguin epnstant engagement nularmember y',the.retationof thehousing L.

. lft-causes the-rotation therewith of. the. ratchet which `turn.isclutched tothe which is engaged -within the .,enpansible member 7e,at this .time tightlyengaging .the .o inner surface. j2.of theratchet.Movement, -`thereforeVof lthe arm o in a connterclock-y tion -of -theshaft g vin i a. clockwise I ffdirectiorn which in turn effects therota- Y tion ofthe-Worm shafts .to-move. the. knife carrier Eal Vtowardthe, right intlignre. l. iAGlThe `effective radial lengthI of the .arm oand the variouscomponent. elements of `the vclutch mechanism disclosedin Vignres L and 45 are sufcli lthat when .the bed c has .reached thellimit-of its stroke toward the left v the bed will .have .been movedk adistance equivalent to the :thickness of the slice of veneertolbe cutfrom the log. At

`this instant the brake. p' is appliedto the. ratchet to yinsure againstundesirable movebecl whichwould affect the eX- actness ofthe next cut.This braking action as has been pointed out hereinbefore` is also--effected byf the4 'rotation of the arm o in. a counterclockwisedirection. .As the ,bedv c startstowardzthe right the pawlszZ engagn ingthe ratchet teeth j prevent .relative v movement ofthe ratchet. as Ithe.housing fm is rotated in. a counterclockwise direction, Iunder theaction of thek spring. n. The movementof the armv o in clockwisedirectionreleases the tensioni-of the chain n and per-mits it to bedrawnunder the action. of the-spring n. to rotate thehousing fm, incounterclockwise. direction .preparatory to 4.5- vthe 'nextlfeed-ingstep. As the knife carrier d reaches the forwardlimit of itsstroke it engages thev end of thecrank lever 7 which effectsthe-withdrawal of the wedge hornV and theunclutching ofthe actuatingmechf 5C anism'fromV the shaft gfthus preventing-any further movementofthe knife carrier; The knife carriermay Vthen be returned to theoutward limit ofits stroke preparatory to `inserting a new log by the`rotation of the shaft g through the belt driven pulley g2. The degree ofmovement of the knife carrier and thereby the thickness ofthe slice ofveneer removed at each ,stroke is con- .trolledby the cam c `whichis4.affected .by 30 thelsetA devices c2. A. pointer g carried with theshaft 0 is adapted to gage the extent of.: movement-of=the .arm @bytravel over a scale gf and'thus an accurate indication of the settingrequired is afforded.

55 To facilitate the rotation` ofthe housing incorporated votllerwtll,

nu.by-.1the,..chainm. ai, sprocket .,wheel, maybe ,chain engages. t

Itwillthus be seenthat an eeti-re-aiit0- matic device is provided vvhich.,causesf` Step, by step movement of .the knife'. carrier thronghrpredetermined J distances .n in I,synchronism with ,'...thev xinovementl of- Athe loO VV I lb. a a

@Various modificationsmay be madern they particular forniwtaken bytheassoeiatedffinstru,mentalitiesA ,whose ,pperation, 4is initiatedtation, is. intendedby the tirfesoflegr description l or accompanyingillustrations but, it

to,be understood that. typefof tmechanism which will eaect intermittent1movementtof .thekknife Acarrierdel'qendceynt upon V movement of thestaylog isvwithin the. scope .of Lthe inerenti@- I,Vilhat l cla-im 1s:

1. ln alveneergslicing.machine havinga movable stay log, thecombinationavith: vactuating.` means therefor inclndmg a ,reciprocatingvbed, anda relatively movablejknife icar-` rierof means to move thel,carrier comprising a rotatableshaft, means tonotate'aid shaft. inonedirection dependentmnpon,fthe actuating ,meansl for` .the jstay log,means to prevent rotation, Y posite direction, and clutching, means@ibe- .tween the shaft and the means to rotate the same.

2.' Inl a veneer slicing.,machine.liaving a movable stayrjlog,4.actuating meansv 'tlierefdre andv a` relativelymoyable. knifecarrieraof meanstomove the carrierfcomprising arotatable shaft, K meansto rotate. ysaid 'shaft in one direction dependent.,uponthe actuatingmeans for the sta-y log,` meansto prevent io-l.-

tation vof the shaft 1n theopposite direction, clutching Y means`between the shaft yand the meansto rotate'the same, anda b akeshoe toengageftheratchet. i'

3. In a veneer.slicinganachine having ag movable staylog actuating means'therefore and` a lrelatively .movable knife carrien'jof means to movethe .carrier comprising a `rotatable shaft, a ratchet `wheelcarriecl-miith the shaft and rotatable with respect thereto a and formedwith an annular recess [in one side thereof, ant, enpansible ring ,y.keyed .f to the shaft within the recess means, to expand,

the ring to. frictionally engage theratchet,

a relativelystationary frame, a pawlcarried with the frame andengageable withthe ratchet teeth, an annularv housing. rotatable freelyon the shaft, a. pawl carried .withl the housing and engaging the shaft,andfmeans to rotatethe housing dependent Vuponniove-\.

ment of the stay log.

L 41. In aveneer slicing maclnnerhaving a movablefstay logactuat1ng,means th Fore including a, reciprocatingi bed, anita Irela tivelymovable knife learner.

ofl the `shaft ,in .the op- 4les move the carrier comprising a rotatableshaft, a ratchet Wheel carried with the shaft and rotatable with respectthereto and formed with an annular recess in one Iside thereof, anexpansible ring keyed to the shaft Within the recess, means to expandthe ring to frictionally engage the ratchet, a relatively stationaryframe, a payvl carried with the frame and cngageable with the ratchetlteeth, an annular housing' rotatable freely on the shaft, a paWl carriedwith the housing and engaging the shaft, and means to rotate the housingcomprising cam devices carried with the reciprocating bed, a rotatablearm actuated by said cam devices and a chain connected to said arm andencircling said housing.

5. In a veneer slicing machine having a movable stay log, actuatingmeans therefore including a reciprocating bed and a relatively movableknife carrier, of means to move the carrier comprising' a rotatableshaft, a ratchet Wheel carried with the sha ft and rotatable withrespect thereto and formed with an annular recess in one side thereof,an expansible ring keyed to the shaft Within the recess, means to expandthe ring to frictionally engage the ratchet, a relatively stationaryframe, a paWl carrie(y With the frame and engageable With the ratchetteeth, an annular housing rotatable freely on the shaft, a pawl carriedwith the housing and engaging the shaft, means to rotate the housingcomprising cam devices carried with the reciprocating bed, a rotatablearm actuated by said cam devices, a chain connected to said arm andencircling said housing, and a brake shoe to engage the ratchet andoperative connections between the brake shoe and the rotatable arm.

6. ln a veneer slicing machine having a movable stay log, actuatingmeans therefore including a reciprocating bed and a relatively movableknife carrier, of means to move the carrier comprising a rotatableshaft, a ratchet Wheel carried with the shaft and rotatable with respectthereto and formed with an annular recess in one side thereof, anexpansiblc ring keyed to the shaft Within the recess, means to expandthe ring to frictionally engage the ratchet a relatively stationaryframe, a paivl carried with the frame and engageable with the ratchetteeth, an annular housing rotatable freely on the shaft, a pawl carriedwith the housing and engaging the shaft, means to rotate the housing'comprising cam devices carried with the reciprocating bed, a rotatablearm actuated by said cam deviY s, a chain connected to said arm andencircling said housing and secured at its end to a yieldingdevice, anda brake shoe to engage the ratchet and operative connections between thebrake shoe and the rotatable arm.

7. In a veneer slicing machine having a movable stay log, thecombination with actuating means therefor and a relatively movable knifecarrier, of means to move the carrier comprising a rotatable shaft, atoothed Wheel freely rotatable on said shaft, clutching means betweensaid toothed Wheel and said shaft, a relatively stationary pawlengageable With said toothed Wheel, a housing freely rotatable aboutsaid toothed Wheel, a pawl carried With the housing and engagable Withthe toothed Wheel, and means to rotate the housing'.

8. ln a veneer slicing machine having a movable stay log, thecombination With actuating means therefor and a relatively movable knifecarrier, of means to move the knife carrier comprising a rotatableshaft, a ratchet Wheel freely rotatable on said shaft, clutching meansbetween said toothed Wheel and said shaft, a relatively stationary paivlengageable with said ratchet, a housing freely rotatable about saidratchet, a payvl carried with the housing and engageable with theratchet, and means to rotate the housing dependent upon said actuatingmeans.

9. In a veneer slicing machine having a movable stay log, thecombination with actuating means therefor including a reciprocating bedand a movable knife carrier comprising a shaft, means to cause rotationof the shaft in one direction and operable connections between saidmeans and the actuating means for the stay log effective uponpredetermined movement of the stay log.

lO. ln a veneer slicing machine, in combination, a stay log, actuatingmeans therefor including a reciprocating bed, a movable knife carrier,operable connections between the knife carrier and the reciprocatingbed, and means to control the degree of movement of the knife carrierdependent upon movement of the bed.

ll. In a veneer slicing machine,'in combination, a stay log, actuatingmeans therefor including a reciprocating bed, a movable knife carrier,operable connections between the knife carrier and the reciprocatingbed, means to control the degree of movement of the knife carrierdependent upon movement of the bed, comprising a cam carried With thebed, and yielding devices to maintain said connections in operativerelation With the cam.

l2. In a veneer slicing machine, in combination, a stay log, actua-tingmeans therefor including a reciprocating bed, a movable knife carrier,connections between the knife carrier and reciprocating bed operativeupon movement of the bed in one direction, and means to control thedegree of movement of the knife carrier dependent upon movement of thebed.

13. ln a veneer slicing machine having a movable stay log, thecombination with actuating means therefor including a reciprocating bedand a relatively movable knife carrier, of means to move the carrierincluding a sha-ft and operative connections between the bed and shaftto rotate the shaft in one direction comprising cam devices carried withthe bed, a rotatable arm actuated by said cam devices and a chainconnected to said arm and encircling said housing.

14. In a veneer slicing machine having a movable stay log, thecombination with actuatingA means therefor including a reciprocating bedand a relatively movable knife carrier, of means to move the carrierincluding a shaft and operative connections between the bed and shaft torotate the shaft in one direction comprising cam devices carried withthe bed, a rotatable arm actuated by said cam devices, a chain connectedto said arm and encircling said housing, and means to vary the cam.

15. In a veneer slicing machine having a movable stay log, thecombination with actuating means therefor including a reciprocating bedand a relatively movable knife carrier, of means to'move the carrierincluding a shaft, and operative connections between the bed and shaftto rotate the shaft in one direction comprising cam devices carried withthe bed, a rotatable arm and brake mechanism effective uponpredetermined movement of the bed to control rotation of said shaft.

16. In a veneer slicing machine having a movable stay log, thecombination with actuating means therefor including a reciprocating bedand a relatively movable knife carrier, of means to move the carrierincluding a shaft and operative connections between the bed and shaft torotate the shaft in one direction including cam devices carried with thereciprocating bed, a rotatable arm actuated by said cam devices and achain connected to said arm and operatively connected with the shaft torotate the same and being secured at its end to a yielding device.

17. In` a veneer slicing machine having a movable stay loQ', thecombination with actuating means therefor including a reciprocating bedand a relatively movable knife carrier, of means to move the carriercomprising a rotatable shaft, a ratchet wheel carried with the shaft androtatable with respect thereto and formed with an annular recess in oneside thereof, an expansible ring keyed to the shaft within the recess,means to expand the ring to frictionally engage the ratchet, arelatively stationary frame, a pawl carried with the frame andengageable with the ratchet teeth, an annular housing rotatable freelyon the shaft, a pawl carried with the housing and engaging the shaft,and means to rotate the housing comprising` cam devices carried with thereciprocating bed, a rotatable arm actuated by said cam devices, and aconnection between the housing and the arm to rotate said housing.

18. In a veneer slicing machine having a movable stay log, thecombination with actuating means therefor including a reciprocating bedand a relatively movable knife carrier, of means to move the carriercomprising a rotatable shaft, a ratchet wheell carried with .the shaftand rotatable with respect thereto and formed with an annular recess inone side thereof, an expansible ring keyed to the shaft within therecess, means to expand the ring to frictionally engage the ratchet, arelatively stationary frame, a pawl carried with the frame andengageable with the ratchet teeth, an annular housing rotatable freelyon the shaft, a pawl carried with the housing and engaging the shaft,and means to rotate the housing comprising cam devices carried with thereciprocating bed, a rotatable arm actuated by said cam devices, aconnection between the housing and the arm to rotate said housing, and aflexible connection between the arm and the housing.

19. In a veneer slicing machine having a movable stay log, thecombination with actuating means therefor including a reciprocating bedand a relatively movable knife carrier, of means to move the knifecarrier including` a rotatable shaft and operative connections betweenthe bed and shaft to rotate the shaft in one direction comprising camdevices carried with the bed, a shaft transverse to the direction ofmovement of the bed, an arm carried with the shaft and contacting withthe cam, a second arm carried with the shaft, flexible connectionsbetween the second arm and the first named shaft, and yielding meansagainst which said second arm operates.

This specification signed this 27th day of May A. D. 1925.

CHRISTOPHER STRAUB.

